Light-support



l. F. HALL.

LIGHT SUPPORT.

Swann/g I. F. HALL.

LIGIHT SUPPORT. APPLICATION man ocT.21, 1919.

Patented Feb. 10, 1920.A

2 SHEETS-sneer z.

ISAAC F. HALL, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

LIGHT-SUPPORT.

Specification of Letterslatent.

Patented Feb. 10, 19240.

Application ledctobei 27, v1919. Serial No. 333,531.

To all whom t may 00m-ern.'

Be it known that I, IsAAc F. HALL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery andState of Ohio, haveinvented new rand useful Improvements in Light-Supports, of which thefollowing is a specification.

In setting signals on semaphore posts in railway systems it is necessaryfor the attendants to climb a ladder which is frequently from 20 to 30feet high. This is a laborious and dangerous undertaking and alsorequires a considerable amount of time.

It is the object of the present invention to produce a means whereby asignal lamp may be raised and supported upon a semaphore post from theground. The improvement also contemplates a simple devicein which thesame means for settingv the lamp on the post is employed for loweringAthe lamp when the same is to be lighted or extinguished, or

lthe bowl is to be supplied with cil, or when .the wick is to beregulated, etc.

The foregoing objects and others which willvappear as the nature of theinvention is better understood, may be accomplished by a construction,combination and operative arrangement of parts such asv is, illustratedby the accompanying drawings, it being understood, however, that ythenature of the invention'is such as to render vthe saine susceptible vtovarious modifications, `all of whichy falling within the scope of whatis claimed.

In Lthe drawings: Figure 1 is an elevation showing the arrangement ofparts wlien the signal lamp is on the ground, the dotted linesindicating the position of the lamp when the same is elevated, butbeforethe lamp is positioned on the post.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the lamp positioned on the post.

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the arrangement of parts when the lampis raised above the post prior to seating .the same thereon, the dottedlines indicating the inanner in which -the lamp is swungaway from thepost, as whenthelamp is to be lowered.

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the device.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view approximately on Vthe. line 5-5 of. Fig. 4,the lamp being seated on the post.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the numeral l'designates asemaphore post.

.Encircling the post at` the top thereof, and

secured thereto is a band2. This band has one of its ends provided withan extension 3, and the other end of the said extension is formed withan upstanding plate 4.l The upper end of the plate 4 is provided with ahorizontally outstanding arm 5, the said arm, as well as the upperportion of the plate being centrally bifurcated. Pivotally `se cured, asat 6 between the arms provided by the horizontal angular extension 5 isa grooved wheel 7. The arms 5, inward of the wheel 7 have upstandinglugs 8 between which is pivoted, as at 9 a dog 10.'

On the sides of the plate 4, a suitable distance above the top of thepost 1 yis a pair of `oppositely disposed brackets 11, which are di-Vstraight shoulders 13. The` brackets have their bodyportions providedwith vertically disposed alined slots 14, andthe inner walls of theseslots are preferably `flushed with'the inner face of the plate 4.Directly above the1 slots 14, the brackets 11' are notched yas at 5.

On the `band 2 preferably diametrically opposite its upstanding plate 4isa peg; 16.

-.Between the spaced brackets 11 is an arm 17. `This arm, adjacent thelower end thereof` is provided with laterally extending studs 18whichvare received the slots 1 4, while the said armsare provided withadditional studs 19 spaced a suitable distancel from the studslS whichare designed to be received inthe notches 15y of the Kbraclnets' whenthe arm 17 is to be held locked'against ,the plate 4, in a mannerand fora purpose to `be presently described. i

`.The arm 17y adjacent. its outer end and upon its outer face isprovidedwith atransverse notch. 20, toy receivel apointed end `of the dog 10when the said notch is brought opposite the dog and whereby the arin17lis held against gravitating byits own weight downward of the plate 4. i

On the inner face of the arm 17, below the notch 20 thereis formed orsecured a right angular extension 21. ,This extension really is in thenature ,of two spaced meinbers, the vinner faces of which being vflushwith the Walls providedV by the bifurcated upper end ofthe plate 5,andby a bifurcated portionfQQ in the arm 17. The spaced parallel.membersrrovded bythe exteneeafl,

are however centrally connected by a cross piece 23, and the saidmembers inward of the cross piece have down standing lugs 24 betweenwhich there is pivoted, as at 25, a grooved wheel 26. 'the arms providedby the extension 22 at their outer ends have one of their corners formedwith additional lugs provided at the juncture of the said members withan angle extension 27 'that is integrally formed thereon, and which isdirected inthe same plane as the portion of the arm 17 above the angleextension 21. The referred to lugs have passed through suitable openingstherein a shaft 28 on which is beveled a grooved wheel 29 that ispositioned between the arms of the member 21. shaft 28 extends asuitable distance beyond the sides of the member 21, and these endsprovide pivots for the eye portion 29 of a depending slotted guide 30.

The signal lamp is indicated by the 'numeral 31 and is provided on oneof its faces with a socket The lamp is provided with the usual bail 33to which is connected a flexible element in the nature of a strap orcable 34. The cable is trained through the hollow guide 30, around thegrooved wheel 29, under the grooved wheel 24 and over the grooved wheel7. The ilexible member 34 is of a length to permit of the same beingsecured to the staple 35 on the post 1 adjacent the ground, when thesaid cable is not in operation.

The operation of the device may be briefly described as follows:

We will suppose the lamp to be on the ground, as in Fig. 1. In thisposition the arm 17 has its lugs 19 resting on the vshoulders 13 of thebrackets. A pull on the flexible element or cable 34 will elevate thelamp causing the bail thereof to contact with the pivoted guide whichbeing secured to the angle portion of the frame provided by the arms 17and its extension 21 will swing the said frame upwardly, causing thelugs 19 to travel over the rounded surfaces 12 of the brackets 11 andalso causing the lugs 18 to move downwardly in the slots 14. rWhen thearm 17 of the frame is brought againstv the inner face of the plate 4,the upper edge of the said arm will be disposed below the dog 10. It isto be understood that the frame is heavier than the lamp, and aslackening of the cable will cause the descent of the frame on the armso that the lugs 19, which are really the trunnions for the swingingframe will travel downwardly through the slots 14 and the lugs 19 willbe received in the notches 15 of the brackets. This locks the frame tothe supporting means therefor, which, of course,

constitute the arm 4 and the brackets 11. A still further slackening ofthe cable causes the lamp to descend by gravity, and as the socket 32thereof is positioned in alinement Thev with the peg 16, the said pegwill be received in the socket when the bottom of the lamp rests on thetop of the post, and thus the lamp is securely sustained on the post.l/Vhen the lamp is to be lowered, a downward pull is exerted upon thecable 34 which causes the frame to be moved upwardly until the trunnions18 contact with the upper walls of the slots 14. This arranges the dog10 in the socket 20. A further pull on the cable 'raises the lamp abovethe post. The dog 10 has a tendency to force the frame outward of theplate 4 of the support for the frame so that a slackening of the cablepermits of the frame being swung outwardly of the support for the frameand also allows the frame to assume its initial horizontal position andthe lamp to be lowered to the ground.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings,the construction and operation of the device will it is thought beperfectly apparent to those skilled in the art to which such inventionsrelate without departing from the detail description of the invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new is z- 1. In adevice for the purpose set forth. a post, a frame supporting member onthe top thereof carrying an upstanding peg, a frame arranged forvertical and for swinging movement on said support, grooved wheelscarried by the frame and by the support, a flexible element trainedtherearound and a lamp provided with a socket secured to said element,as land for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with a post, of a frame supporting member secured atthe top thereof and said member carrying an upstanding peg, a framedisposed for vertical and swinging movement on thesupport, means carriedby the support for engagement with the frame to move the same outwardand to permit of the downward swinging of the frame when the said frameis brought to one position, grooved wheels carried by the frame andsupport, a flexible element trained therearound, and a signal lamphaving a socket to receive the peg secured to said flexible element, asand for the purpose set forth.

3. In combination with a post, of a vertically disposed frame supportingmember secured to the top thereof and an upstanding peg on said memberat its juncture with the post, brackets carried by said member, saidbrackets having their upper surfaces curved and the said curved portionsterminating in shoulders, a frame including an arm disposed between thebrackets for vertical and swinging movement with respect thereto,elements on the arm for limiting the vertical lmovement thereof, otherelements on said arm for ragging over the rounded portion, the curvedportions of the brackets and for resting on the shoulders thereof, whenthe arm of the frame is sustained horizontally, grooved wheels carriedbythe support and by the frame, a flexible element trained therearound,and a lamp having the socket to receive the post secured to the flexibleelement as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In combination with a post, o'f a frame support, secured to the topthereof, an upstanding peg carried by the support, a frame disposed forvertical and swinging movement on the support, means for limiting boththe vertical and swinging movements of the frame, means for directingthe frame away from the support when the said frame is in one position,means for locking the frame on the support when the latter is in asecond position, grooved wheels carried by the support and frame, aflexible element trained therearound, and a lamp having a socket toreceive the peg when the said lamp is elevated over the post, secured tothe flexible element.

5. In combination with a semaphore post, and a lamp having a socketdesigned to be.

supported on the top of the post, of a band secured on the post at'thetop thereof, said band having an upstanding peg thereon, and having anextension opposite the peg terminating in an upstanding arm, a pivoteddo on the upper endof the arm, a groove Wheel journaled upward of thedog, brackets secured to the sides of the arm, said brackets havingalining vertically disposed slots, and their upper edges provided withalining notches above the slots, the upper corners of the brackets beingrounded and terminating in outstanding shoulders, a frame including anarm having spaced pairs of lugs on the sides thereof and the lower lugsbeing received in the slots of the brackets, said frame having an angleeX- tension provided with spaced grooved wheels and with a dependingpivoted guide, a flexible element secured to the lamp, trained throughthe guide and around the mentioned grooved wheels, and means forsecuring the free end of the flexible element to the semaphore post, allas and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ISAAC F. HALL.

